Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver and 36 km (22 mi) south of the town of Pemberton. Incorporated as the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), it has a permanent population of approximately 9,965, plus a larger but rotating "transient" population of workers, typically younger people from beyond BC, notably from Australia and Europe.

History[edit]

The Whistler Valley is located around the pass between the headwaters of the Green River and the upper-middle reaches of the Cheakamus. It is flanked by glaciated mountains on both sides; the Garibaldi Ranges on the side that contains the ski mountains, and a group of ranges with no collective name but which are part of the larger Pacific Ranges and are essentially fore-ranges of the Pemberton Icefield. Although there are a few other routes through the maze of mountains between the basin of the Lillooet River just east, the Cheakamus-Green divide is the lowest and most direct and naturally was the main trading route of the Squamish and Lil'wat First Nations long before the arrival of Europeans. One Lil'wat legend of the Great Flood says that before the deluge, the people lived at Green Lake.[4]

The first British survey by the Royal Navy took place in the 1860s.[5] These surveyors named the mountain London Mountain because of the heavy fog and cloud typically gathering around the mountain, but the area informally acquired the name "Whistler" due to the call of the hoary marmot.[6] In the late 19th century, a trail was cut through the valley, linking Lillooet via Pemberton with Burrard Inlet via a pass from Squamish to the Seymour River. The trail was completed in 1877, but because of the difficult and unforgiving terrain, it was only used once for its intended purpose, which was to drive cattle. The area began to attract trappers and prospectors (such as John Millar and Henry Horstman) who established small camps in the area in the early 20th century. The area began to gain recognition with the arrival of Myrtle and Alex Philip, who in 1914 purchased 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land on Alta Lake and established the Rainbow Lodge. The Philips had relocated from Maine to Vancouver in 1910, and had heard rumors of the natural beauty of the area from Pemberton pioneer John Millar. After an exploratory journey, the couple was convinced. Rainbow Lodge and other railway-dependent tourist resorts were collectively known as Alta Lake. Along with the rest of the valley bridging the Cheakamus and Green River basins, they became part of British Columbia's first Resort Municipality in 1975.

Completion of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in 1914 greatly reduced the travel time from three days, providing ease of access from Vancouver, and the Rainbow Lodge gained a reputation as the most popular vacation destination west of the Rockies.[citation needed] The lodge was primarily a summer destination, with boating, fishing and hiking among the most popular activities, and soon other lodges began to open not just on Alta Lake, but on other valley lakes as well.

Appreciation of the outdoors was not the only activity in the valley, however. Logging was a boom industry. During the first half of the 20th century, most of the lower slopes of the surrounding mountains were cleared of old growth. At its peak, four mills were in operation, most located around Green Lake. Prospecting and trapping were pursued as well, though no claims of great value were ever staked.

1968 and 1976 Winter Olympic bids[edit]

Until the 1960s, this quiet area was without basic infrastructure; there were no sewage facilities, water, or electricity, and no road from Squamish or Vancouver. In 1962, four Vancouver businessmen began to explore the area with the intent of building a ski resort and bidding for the 1968 Winter Olympics. Garibaldi Lift Company was formed, shares were sold, and in 1966, Whistler Mountain opened to the public.

Later, the town, then still Alpha Lake, was offered the 1976 Winter Olympics after selected host city Denver declined the games due to funding issues. Alpha Lake Whistler declined as well, after elections ushered in a local government less enthusiastic about the Olympics. The 1976 Winter Olympics were ultimately held in Innsbruck, Austria.

2010 Winter Olympics[edit]

A statue of Ilanaaq, mascot of the 2010 Olympics, located on Whistler Mountain

The Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village (commonly referred to as the Athlete's village) housed around 2,400 athletes, coaches, trainers and officials. Post-games, the site has been turned into a new residential neighbourhood Cheakamus Crossing.

Bears[edit]

Black bears[edit]

Steel Olympic Logo structure.

Whistler's urban landscape was specifically designed to accommodate the natural environment,[7] as well as to re-mediate a large garbage dump which became today's Whistler Village which had been one of the main non-natural feeding grounds for black bear in the valley. Since the resort's development, black bear populations have gradually recovered. New residents like to say "bears have begun seeking food in settled areas" but this is a tautology. It is people that are settling in bears' traditional food areas. Many of Whistler's bears have learned to do things like open car doors or hold spring-closed gates open so they can reach food. They have even learnt how open the standard (formerly) bear proof garbage cans by wacking them with their paws a moment before the cans hit the ground when knocked over - similar to the technique used to open a newspaper box. The RMOW is now phasing out these old blue boxes with new stainless bear proof bins. Most bears are relatively docile and few bear-human negative incidents have been reported. Whistler residents are strongly conservationist, and the official response has relied heavily on behavior modification for both bears and people. Removal or killing are last resorts. BearSmart's[8] and BearSmart Whistler's[9] techniques are being used have been studied and adopted by other municipalities with bear problems around the world.[10]

Attractants range from restaurant waste to unpicked berries. A lot of berry and fruit bushes have been removed from the village and residents in the valley floor and most replaced with non-bear-attractants.[9] Unfortunately some were replaced by Dogwood bushes. The dogwood`s nuts are the only thing bears like better than berries. Since people don't eat this nut they don`t consider it food, the bears sure do. Another Ursine favourite are Rosehips. In the last dozen years if anything there has been an increase in Rose bushes - many people they don`t consider it food, very few of us, in modern times now make and eat rosehip jelly. Even though we don't consider rosehips food, the Bears do. Rosehips are persistent, meaning they don't fall off the bushes. If its not a rainy fall and rainy winter, the fruits freeze dry and are around in early spring to give the bears carb's and much needed vitamin C, as they are close to scurvy when they awake from hibernation. They also eat, in the spring the baby rosebush leaves before the chlorophyll count is too high. This has few carb's but fills their bellies and does have a lot of vitamin C too. Recently since 2012 Whistler BlackcComb, BearSmart and volunteers are planting attractants in the bears traditional Alpine feeding areas.[11] This should be seen as much needed habitat restoration.

Whistler was clear cut twice in succession. So it is not an old growth rain forest with 1,000s of species, but a mere plantation with only a few 100 species. The Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium (AKA hollyleaved barberry) [7] and Highbush Cranberry Viburnum opulus were accidentally re-introduced as escaped landscaping plants, and may all be Oregonian Subspecies. All the wild Pacific crabapples Malus fuscawere AKA Pyrus rivularis Douglas and AKA Pyrus fusca were dug up by Pemberton Pioneers for grafting Rootstock.[12][13] It is unclear whether the Chickasaw Plum, Prunus americana was indigenous, or introduced by Indigenous Transcontinental Trade Networks or later Western Contact. All the wild Plums were dug up too by Pemberton Pioneers for fruit trees to transplant and as rootstock. Once abundant on the forest floor, Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea is no longer found because of the loss of habitat through the clear cutting.[14]

Black bears and brown bears are two commonly used names for the same species: Ursus americanus. Also called the American black bear, black bear, and includes the white Spirit Bear AKA Kermode Bear Family: Ursidae.,[15] Image.[16] Though no white bears have been sighted within a 150 mi (240 km) of Whistler, there is a large colour variation: Black bears, all black, with white or tan blazes and/or tan yellow snout,[17] nut brown, to a golden brown,[18] to Red Cinnamon bears [19]

Grizzly bears[edit]

Some of Whistler's golden brown bears get mistaken for grizzlies, by tourists. Grizzlies are quite distinctive though, because of the hump on their front shoulders. There is not currently a viable sustainable breeding stock of grizzlies in the Whistler Valley proper but it is their traditional habitat.[20] A transient female was spotted: named Power and she is the symbol of hope and despair for the recovery of grizzly bears in southwestern B.C. This adult female crossed Highway 99 / Sea to Sky Highway last fall ('12) in Whistler through the 481,000 acre /194,650-hectare Garibaldi Provincial Park, south to the Pitt River Valley, where she fed on spawning salmon, Vancouver Sun Oct 16, 2013.[21] Grizzlies are found in the adjacent valley systems of the Callaghan ; site of 2010 Olympic Nordic events, a population of 20 including many breeding females (Presentation before Provincial Finance Committee, Whistler Sept.22, 2014); a 10-year-old male died, September 2014 of stress & possible complications from extra traquiliers after 3rd failed relocation, from his frequenting the unfenced Squamish, British Columbia dump / landfill [22] his range included Garibaldi Provincial Park at the southern end of the mountains in Whistler; more Grizzilies are found in the remoter parts of the Pemberton Valley system including Birken.[21][23] Grizzly Bear: Species:Ursus arctos, Subspecies Ursus arctos horribilis Abr. U. a. horribilis, also confusingly called Brown Bear Family: Ursidae.[24] The Kodiak is another Subspecies of Ursus arctos, Subspecies Ursus arctos middendorffi.[25] The Whistler & Squamish area is now the Southern most line of the Continetial Range of Grizzly populations that once historically ranged down into Mexico; the small pockets of Grizzlies being reintroduced into the Colorado Rockies & Yellowstone National Park not withstanding (Presentation before Provincial Finance Committee, Whistler Sept.22, 2014).

Elite-class rail service is only provided between the Whistler railway station and North Vancouver by the Whistler Mountaineer. Regular passenger schedules are no longer available. Rail service through to Jasper is provided by the Rocky Mountaineer, using Canadian National Railway tracks from North Vancouver via Whistler and Prince George. The station for tour passengers embarking from Whistler is in the Southside area, between Nita and Alpha Lakes.

Local bus transit service is provided by the Whistler and Valley Express, which also provides service to Pemberton. Greyhound Canada also runs a commuter service between Pemberton and Whistler.

Vancouver International Airport[edit]

Pemberton Regional Airport[edit]

Pemberton Regional Airport (IATA: CYPS, ICAO: YPS)[26] is a public airport serving Pemberton and Whistler. It is the closest airport for fixed wing non-amphibious aircraft and is 38 minutes north of Whistler. There are no scheduled flights but three charter services operate out of the airport.

Climate[edit]

Whistler experiences cool wet winters, and dry warm summers. On average Whistler receives approximately 11 days with temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F), and approximately 24 days on average with temperatures falling below −10 °C (14 °F).[28]

...a hybrid spruce that is unique to Whistler, aptly dubbed the "Whistler Spruce." The Whistler spruce hybrid is indicative of Whistler's geographic position—we're not quite coastal, but not quite interior.

The higher slopes transition to many species of scrub juniper, Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), and many species of scrub willow in the genus Salix at the tree line, and to Arctic tundra like conditions in the high alpine above the tree line.

Media[edit]

Print media[edit]

Whistler has two weekly newspapers and one monthly community publication. The two newspapers Whistler Question and the Pique Newsmagazine, were originally published every Thursday, until they were both brought under the same ownership. They are now published Tuesday and Thursday respectively. The Lost Duck is a monthly events guide and calendar that lists what's happening in the resort. Other tourist orientated, print media such as FAQ, Visitors Choice and Whistler Magazine are published quarterly, once or twice a year.

An internet radio site for the community exists It is designed to be a community radio station showcasing local music talent and interests of relative importance. History: Nov 28, 2003 "Feds shut down local pirate radio station... frequency 105.5 FM in the Whistler area, received a visit from Industry Canada and local RCMP officer", Federal Police.[37]Freeradio Whistler still legally broadcasts over the Internet at freewhistler.com.[38]

Television[edit]

Whistler has some locally produced content on Shaw Cable Channel 4: Go! Sea To Sky

Television service in the area is served by TELUS via Optik TV and their Satellite TV service, Shaw Communications via Cable & Shaw Direct Satellite service and Bell Satellite TV service. All the large hotels have their own in house system with cable and pay per view.

The television show Whistler takes place in Whistler. Whistler, the series is a Canadian television drama centring on the aftermath of the mysterious death of a local snowboard legend. The series was set in the ski resort of the same name and aired for two seasons from 2006 to 2008. It was created by Kelly Senecal and developed by Patrick Banister, John Barbisan, Mindy Heslin, and Susan James.

The television series Peak Season is filmed in Whistler and documents the lives of people that live there. Reality Show Fresh Meat II was filmed in Whistler. The community also appeared as the location for Shane and Carmen's wedding in The L Word (season 3, episode 12) Whistler was also featured on The Real Housewives of Orange County and ABC's Extreme Weight Loss.

Sophie Tweed-Simmons has her own reality TV series spin off in production. Filming began December 2013, in Whistler, VancouverLos Angeles and Nashville. Sophie and her mother, model Shannon Tweed, will be the focus of the new show. Producers of the show are Force Four Entertainment, Vancouver. Eight 1/2 hour episodes are to be broadcast on W Network Canada in the spring of 2014.[39]

Kansai TVJapan was produced in Whistler with a 1 1/2 hour TV special, Race to the Canadian Northern Lights. Thirty minutes of footage on Whistler’s winter activities, shopping, Village and spa. The show aired March 2001. It had a veiwership of 3 million and had an estimated public relations value of $2 million.[40]

Stewardess Cops Fuji Television AKA Fuji Network, a popular Japanese drama, shot a two hour special on location in Whistler during the fall of 2001. It was aired January 2002 and had an estimated audience of 22 million.[40]

Besides the 2010 Winter Olympics broadcasters from the United States, Australia's Today Show,[41] and Japan have done daily up to week long segments from Whistler.

ESPN2 shows BMX Races from Whistler but they are really from nearby Pemberton's Green River BMX Track.

Most videos of Whistler Backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling are filmed in the Pemberton Valley or area. The Whistler name has a much higher brand recognition.

Movies[edit]

The Whistler Film Festival is producesd by the Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS). It is held over five days from the first weekend of December.[42]